For generations, sandwiches have been a lunchtime staple for small children at, and away from home. Sandwiches are often prepared on relatively soft breads in regularly sized slices. The contents/filling of these sandwiches ore often equally soft and sticky—for example peanut butter and jelly. Because children are often less attentive to cleanliness and hygiene, sandwiches often find there way to the floor or another potentially soiled/unsanitary surface. Likewise, a sandwich's soft and runny filling can wind up all over a child's hands, clothes face, etc. This often results because the child tends to grip the sandwich hard, and break through the bread layer while eating. The filling also runs out the sides of the sandwich and onto the child's hands. Children also often tend to eat around the perimeter of a sandwich, again creating an opportunity for more filling to run onto a child's hands.
More significantly, concerns over healthy eating have led parents to prepare sandwiches with less saucy contents and more loose, “whole” ingredients, like lettuce, tomatoes, pickles cucumbers and the like. These ingredients, while healthy, often tend to fall from the sandwich bread if not carefully tended while eating. This can prove a significant challenge for children during eating and for parents during the subsequent cleanup.
One way to avoid soiled hands, contaminated sandwiches and dropped fillings is to wrap the sandwich in a plastic or foil wrapper or sandwich bag, which is then gripped by the hands to protect the sandwich from fingers and maintain most of the sandwich in a covered state, with the contents generally contained therein. The diner then peels away enough of the bag/wrapper aside to expose an end of the sandwich to be eaten. As the sandwich is consumed, more of the wrapper is peeled away, exposing the next portion to be eaten, while the remainder of the sandwich is protected from contamination and contact with fingers by the unpeeled portion of the bag or wrapper. However, this can prove difficult for a small child as it requires a degree of dexterity and spatial awareness that may be beyond his or her ability to master. Moreover, a portion (or all) of the lightweight bag or wrapper can be inadvertently consumed by the child, giving rise to choking or another health risk.
It is, thus, desirable to provide a mechanism and associated technique for selectively covering all or a portion of a sandwich in a manner that allows only a portion to be eaten to be exposed. The mechanism should be child-friendly and easy to use and allow the entire sandwich to be consumed as desired. The mechanism should be sturdy and ergonomically suited to a small child's hands. The mechanism should also allow for ease of cleaning and refilling with new sandwiches having a variety of contents and a reasonable range of sizes. It is also desirable that the mechanism that maintains a child's interest and makes the process of eating the sandwich more enjoyable.